


like a star

by Anonymous



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, compliments, getting together?? arguably???, not so much breaking the fourth wall as casually leaning against it, sweet sweet validation, uhhhhhh its a conversation/rap battle/thing a la hamilton, yeets this thing into the stratosphere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-22 01:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13753785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: In safety contending, in battles neverending side-by-side, they abide, and sometimes they mock and sometimes they balk but today, they talk.





	like a star

**Author's Note:**

> so keith and lance converse in verse and it's the worst thing i've ever written, i was bitten by the hamilton bug and suddenly i feel this tug to write a rap? it's crap. i have no rhythm, they're just talking in rhyme and i didn't spend enough time so it's rough, but tough, you get what you get. i've posted it and now i can forget.
> 
> no regrets! this shit's legit /gets hit

**LANCE**  
Keith.

 **KEITH**  
Lance.

 **LANCE**  
Any chance you have a moment? I know you're a loner, after all.

 **KEITH**  
...Sure?

 **LANCE**  
Okay, 'cause I've got a problem, and it's called _you_. The buzz back at school said you're good, and it's true, but you barely care? So where does it come from?

 **KEITH**  
What?

 **LANCE**  
Don't play dumb. I mean your skill! Your ability! And yet you keep this weird humility even though your agility is bar none. Among the best and you are one, but you never say so, not once. And so says rumor that back in the flight sims Shiro was your tutor! Was he?

 **KEITH**  
I guess?

 **LANCE**  
You guess.

 **KEITH**  
He was the best, and I wanted to put my "skills" to the test.

 **LANCE**  
How?

 **KEITH**  
We raced.

 **LANCE**  
How'd it go?

 **KEITH**  
I kept pace for like, thirty seconds, till he pulled ahead.

 **LANCE**  
And he won.

 **KEITH**  
And then we were friends instead.

 **LANCE**  
Just like that?

 **KEITH**  
We also talked. About bikes. He had one mocked-up like the T-1 racer that won the cup, I took it when he...

 **LANCE**  
Took flight.

 **KEITH**  
Right.

 **LANCE**  
So you're a nerd AND a crook.

 **KEITH**  
And this conversation started so well...

 **LANCE**  
We took a wrong turn. Back to the point, you excel, and my annoyance--with allowance for your lack of sociality, which let you just rack up victories--I assume--it's practicality--friendship lagged so you're like, a factory, always going--

 **KEITH**  
Can you repeat that in English?

 **LANCE**  
You never brag?

 **KEITH**  
That's a problem?

 **LANCE**  
The problem's why. You have the talent to back it up, the balance of natural and acquired, like you're wired to inspire--don't quote me on that--stacking up the records like you don't even try. If I were you, I'd howl it to the moon, but you? Not a holler.

 **KEITH**  
Why bother? My actions speak for themselves; I don't need to show the trophies on my shelves--

 **LANCE**  
That's more like it.

 **KEITH**  
There aren't that many trophies, Lance. I like what I do, I don't try to advance--it's by chance. Circumstance. I train and I gain my skills and now I use them to kill. Is that worth celebrating?

 **LANCE**  
I'm not advocating calculating kill counts, no, but you know you show off less than you could. It's infuriating.

 **KEITH**  
Again, why?

 **LANCE**  
You don't even try!

 **KEITH**  
I just said I train, so why the disdain? Please explain.

 **LANCE**  
If you're going to be better than me at everything, you could at least pretend to care.

 **KEITH**  
Oh.

 **LANCE**  
I don't tend to bare my insecurities, say more than "oh," please.

 **KEITH**  
Sorry. If it puts you at ease, I think nobody sees you as less. Except you, I guess.

 **LANCE**  
Wow, thanks.

 **KEITH**  
You're welcome.

 **LANCE**  
Sure, from you? Means a lot. Not.

 **KEITH**  
I'm not trying to pick a fight.

 **LANCE**  
No, you're just like a star--too bright.

 **KEITH**  
...All right, that sounds like a compliment.

 **LANCE**  
That's not what I meant!

 **KEITH**  
Then what do you mean?

 **LANCE**  
I can't keep up; I'm unseen. Stuck in your shadow every battle, and in the castle, and Shiro ignores me.

 **KEITH**  
He doesn't.

 **LANCE**  
He abhors me. He only listens to you. Even when I was red paladin he'd take it in and reject it, challenging my advice--and I was _right_ on Naxcela, I tell you. We almost died, and he'd just chide.

 **KEITH**  
I'll talk to him.

 **LANCE**  
That's awkward, no.

 **KEITH**  
Then what do you want me to do?

 **LANCE**  
I don't know!

 **KEITH**  
Why did you tell me this? You're clearly pissed, enough to list what you hate about me--

 **LANCE**  
I don't hate you.

 **KEITH**  
That's news.

 **LANCE**  
Excuse me for being jealous when you're everything I want to be. You're so mean. I'm in crisis.

 **KEITH**  
You're nice, is that something you don't want to be?

 **LANCE**  
I'm nice? So there's _one_ thing going for me.

 **KEITH**  
Just one? I can think of more. Since we're keeping score, apparently.

 **LANCE**  
Do share.

 **KEITH**  
You care. That's a big one you don't keep a lid on; you have heart to spare. Your aim is impeccable, in battle professional--outside it, accessible, amenable, dependable, and you think that's not enough? Unacceptable. When the going gets tough, you stay and you fight, you make sure things go right; your potential untapped, when attacked you adapt, when trapped you outlast. That's commendable.

 **LANCE**  
Jesus christ.

 **KEITH**  
Does that suffice?

 **LANCE**  
That was so nice? Who are you and what have you done with Keith?

 **KEITH**  
It's me, and you're not beneath me at all. You're far above; if either of us is a star, it's you, and I--

 **LANCE**  
...Love?

 **KEITH**  
I-I wasn't going to say--

 **LANCE**  
It rhymes, though. Anyway... thank you.

 **KEITH**  
Anytime, and no more ranking yourself. We're a team.

 **LANCE**  
I half-think this is a dream, but okay. And if someday you do mean... love...

 **KEITH**  
I'll be honest, I promise.

 **LANCE**  
And I'll be someone you're proud of. A star.

 **KEITH**  
You already are.

**Author's Note:**

> comment in verse and i'll respond in kind; comment in prose and i suppose i'll still rhyme, it's good for the mind. <3


End file.
